What if love isn't enough?
by Fantastic-Lies
Summary: When the greatest dark wizard of all time falls, will Hermione's love fall too?
1. Not Never, Just Not Now

**Hi everyone. This is my first fan fiction story. I really hope you like it, please review and tell me if you think its crap. Oh yeah and I want to devote it to my friend Jess (matchmaker101) for doing a spelling check. Read her stuff too it's great.**

Hermione had spent the last half hour wrestling with a common problem. It was the simplest of problems. Her hair. No matter how hard she combed or how much potion she rubbed through it remained a tangled mess. She eventually pulled it back into a simple bunch and collapsed back onto the lid of the toilet seat.

These could possibly have been some of the worst few days of her life. It had been worse than when Ron ran away, worse than fighting death eaters at the ministry of magic. So many people she knew were dead and the whole weight of what she had been doing for the last year collapsed on her. Everything they had done, all the things they had achieved was real in her mind. And then there was Voldemort. The greatest dark wizard of all time had fallen. So why did her heart ache.

The door to the bathroom edged open and Ginny walked in. Her pale cheeks were tracked with red watery lines, her eyes puffy and red. She had very obliviously been crying. Hermione found herself fighting the urge to burst into tears.

Then they heard the familiar sound of Errol the owl crashing into the window and Hermione wondered how something so normal could still happen after so much had changed. She heard a sound that brought the smallest amount of comfort to her heart. It was the familiar sound of Ron thudding down the stairs of the burrow to get the window so Errol could fly in.

Hermione hugged Ginny and the two walked out of the bathroom Ginny slowly ascending the stairs Hermione creeping her way towards the kitchen where she knew Ron would be. She heard the sound of Ginny running into Harry's embrace two floors above as she slid into the dark kitchen. Mrs Weasley had been cooking profusely, her way of fighting the pain but Ron had been hiding in his attic bedroom.

Hermione looked at Ron in the eyes for the first time since Fred's death three days before. He was still 17 years old but his eyes looked as aged and wise as that of an old man that had seen so many days.

"It's from Bill. He says the ministry is all over the place looking for a new minister. That Harry's name had even been tossed around as an option. He... He's organising a funeral for... for" Ron gushed as though he wanted it all out as fast as possible.

Hermione moved to sit next to him and rested her hand on his knee. She moved in and kissed him. It was beautiful and feeling Ron pull away just seconds later pulled at her heart.

"We can't." Ron said.

"What?" Hermione said trying to hide the pain in her voice.

"We can't be happy"

"Why the hell not." She snapped angrily.

"It's not fair on them. On Tonks and Lupin, on Mad Eye, on Fred. We can't be happy while we mourn for them."

"But if we let ourselves break, their killers are winning."

"You don't know what this feels like Hermione."

"Don't I? What about when you ran away, it killed me not knowing how you were, where you were. And the others, I loved them too and I love you. You don't think this is killing me too. But there is still hope for us we can still fight."

"Hermione, we just can't ok not now."

"Not now or not ever?"

"Not never, Hermione, this just isn't the time."

"I cannot believe you Ron. Dumbledore always said love was our greatest weapon. As long as we still loved we had the advantage, as long as we had love we could win." She found herself yelling as tears streamed down her face.

"Hermione, what has loving done for any of us. Look at what's happened to us; look at what happened to Dumbledore. What if love isn't enough to win? Maybe, just maybe this time love isn't winning."

**Ok so yeah that's the first chapter, hope you liked it. Once again please review. Sorry it's weird but that's my style!**


	2. That’s just what I've always wanted!

**Hey. Ok I didn't get my brilliant spell checker to check it this time but I think it might still be ok. Alright this is dedicated to my friend Alice (corruptone). Hope you like this as much as I like your stuff!**

It was only moments later when Hermione was in her room throwing her things into a suitcase. She couldn't believe Ron had just ended it. She loved him so much how could he be such a stupid git so much of the time. It wasn't like they had been in a relationship for a really long time, but they had been friends for years. He was her best friend and he was throwing everything away. It was stupid and it was unfair.

After another few minutes of angrily throwing things all over the place she gave up on packing the Muggle way and pulled her wand out of her pocket and waved it over her stuff. As she watched everything from books to socks pack itself neatly into the case she realised something.

Ron wasn't stopping her he was letting her leave. He was really letting everything between them end. He was truly serious about them being over. She notice her things had all settled into the bag and on the surface was a wrapped package.

She opened it to see the photo frame Ron had given her with a photo of the two of them sitting by the lake at Hogwarts laughing. She picked up the photo of them together and walked into the hall. Three floors bellow she saw Ron at the foot of the wonky spiralled stairs. She reached out and dropped the picture down the gap so it landed just behind him.

The glass sprayed across the wooden floor as Ron whipped around to see the photo of the two of them smiling under shards of glass.

"Herm-" Ron started.

"No," Hermione yelled. "Either you want to be with me or you don't."

Ron fiddled with his knitted sweater. Hermione almost felt bad but then she changed her mind. Ron had hurt her; he was the one who needed to be sorry.

"Hermione one day I will love you again, but right now I need to focus on saying goodbye to everyone I've lost."

"That's just what I've always wanted someone who will love me eventually. Ron you haven't lost me so why are you saying goodbye."

Ginny stuck her head out of the second floor to see Ron almost crying and Hermione glaring with her in the middle.

"What the hell is going on?" Harry yelled appearing at Ginny's side.

"You can ask Ron, I'm leaving," Hermione snapped. "Acio suitcase."

"Hermione wha-" Ginny started.

But Hermione turned on her heel and after a moment of the feeling she was being squeezed through a tube she arrived. Stoats Head Hill, the place they had taken the port key for the Quiddage World Cup. It was the only place she could think of at the time that wasn't too close that she'd be found in a moment, but not too far away that she would never be found again.

She looked up and realised that the sun was setting over her. It was beautiful but it only made her sad. If only Ron was with her his hair glowing brilliantly in the last rays of the sun. As it disappeared she pulled out the old tent she still had in her little sequined bag and climbed into a sleeping bag hoping that by some miracle tomorrow would be a better day.

**Ok that's it. Now Review. REVIEW. Please.**


	3. Maybe, Maybe not

**HI. Ok so this is the new chapter. Hope you like it. Even if you don't please review you have no idea how happy it makes me! Oh and italics are thoughts or dreams.**

_Hermione walked in a field of plain flowers. Her hair rested gently beside her head in perfect neat waves. She wore a plain white dress that flowed perfectly over her gentle curves. It spun around her knees as she turned toward the call of her name. There he stood also dressed in all white except that his outfit consisted of a smooth crisp white shirt and chinos. His soft red hair was smooth and his face gently wrinkled as he smiled. Ron and Hermione began to run towards each other across the vast space._

_But then vast rain clouds filled the sky and thunder erupted loudly above the two. But Hermione and Ron still ran waiting to embrace. The rain poured from the sky but all Hermione felt was a single drop falling again and again on the one spot on her forehead. They were barely metres from each other and their love was radiating and they were magnetised to each other. Hermione stretched out her arms he was so close..._

Hermione woke with a start to find a storm raging outside her tent. Her forehead was wet from the spot where a drip had been continuously falling onto the same spot. Her sleeping bag felt tight and enclosed so she pulled it off and stood up, hitting her head on the roof of the tent. She was still wearing her tank top and jeans from the night before. She bowed her head onto her chest. _That smell I know that smell. Ron. Ron. _

Hermione used to love that smell. A light layer of musky sweat mingled with 'Strong' his favourite potion scent. Hermione had grown to be comforted by this gentle scent but now as it hung on her clothes she wanted to wash herself from him. She refrained from running into the rain and instead went into her bag to pull out a pair of scissors. But when she reached in for scissors to destroy her shirt she accidently pulled out a sock.

It was one of Ron's socks. But she wasn't going to cry this time she was actually going to do something. Ron they couldn't love until they had mourned well she would do the next best thing she would find someone who would truly love her and move on. She would make Ron realise he was an idiot for leaving her behind.

Hermione used magic to pack up her tent and put everything away. She had formed an instant plan. She would quickly send Ginny an owl to tell her she was going to stay at Grimald place and then she'd be off.

But first she waved her wand and the sock belonging to Ron was wrapped in tissue paper within a second. With another flick of her wand a card attached itself saying with love from Hermione. She heard a yell from the distance that sounded like her name she paused for a moment then heard the sound again.

"Ginny?" Hermione called out.

"Hermione?" Ginny replied.

"Ginny!" Hermione yelled finally recognising it to be her.

Hermione sat at the top of the hill smiling waiting for Ginny. Finally after about 10 minutes she finished climbing the steep climb to the peak of Stoats head hill. But Hermione's eyes were drawn immediately away from Ginny and to the parcel in her arms.

It was a baby.

"Ron told us what happened." Ginny said.

"Do you think I'm right leaving?" Hermione questioned.

"Look Hermione my brother is an idiotic git. But he's going through a hard time," Hermione open her mouth and glared. "I know that doesn't excuse him treating you like crap. But I know he loves you so mu-"

"Shut up Gin, it's over, the end, close the book and throw it out the window."

"Just give him a chance you two are meant to be."

"Maybe, but maybe not. It's time for a change in my life I have to move on from just being one of the three. I need to get out there and be myself."

Ginny nodded and Hermione could tell she really did understand. Then the little bundle began to cry and Ginny began to rock it.

"It's him isn't it? It's Teddy." Hermione said smiling down at the bundle.

"Yeah they Tonks parents dropped him off this morning," she said her voice choked with the sadness of the loss of his parents. "It really makes it feel like they're gone now that their child is without mum and dad.

"I mean I am only 16 and Harry only 17 how the hell are we supposed to look after a child. I feel like I'm being forced to grow up know what to do. I don't know how to be a mum. I don't get babies." Ginny had let the pain win and dissolved into tears.

Hermione for a moment felt selfish that she was about to leave, and held Ginny close to try to cover her guilt.

"Ginny. You can't honestly believe that anyone can truly be ready for their first child. All you have to do is believe in your heart that you love that child and the rest will come naturally. Don't be scared by what you think will make you a good parent and focus on actually being there for your child. We all make mistakes." Hermione lectured, as she always felt most comfortable when she was lecturing.

"Ginny!" called out Ron's voice.

"Bye I'll miss you." Hermione said immediately standing and pulling her thing together.

Lastly she picked up the package that contained Ron's lone sock and handed it to Ginny.

"Tell Ron I never want to see this or him until I've straightened my thoughts. And that if he knows what's good for him he won't follow me." Hermione said kissing Ginny on the cheek.

"Bye. I'll write." Ginny said wiping the tears from her cheek.

Ron yelled out again, closer this time. So Hermione jumped to her feet pushed everything into the little sequined bag and turned on the spot, disappearing just in time to see Ron arrive at the top of the hill.

**OK. Again review please I want to know what you think!**


	4. The Rose

**OK. This one is for my friend Millie (poppingcorn4u). Hope she likes it! And you! I won't post the next chapter until someone reviews.**

**Oh and ive sold my soul to the devil, there is going to be some dramione action. But it wont be for a little while.**

Grimald was dark and deserted though it was the middle of a warm day. I said to myself the words that would allow a passage to my refuge to form.

"12 Grimald place, headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix"

As the last word escaped from my mouth the door slid into place pushing the other buildings aside followed by the rest of the house at a steady pace. The house looked neglected and grimy. The walls were covered in dust and I wondered how long it had been since I had been here.

I walked up to the door and slipped inside. I walked up the stairs to the room I had always stayed in and lay on the bed staring at the dusty ceiling. Felt depressing to just lie on my bed so I stood up and walked down to the kitchen where I waved my wand to start my dinner cooking. That's when I realised the cupboards were empty and I wasn't hungry. I laid my head down on the table. It was going to be tough being on my own for the first time in a long time.

***************

Two weeks passed in a flurry of rejected letters from Ron and loved ones from Ginny. The daily prophet had been forever reporting the details of the search for a new minister of magic, something Hermione wished they would hurry up on.

Finally one morning as I sat down to a bowl of Acio's: The cereal that summons flavour I open that mornings daily prophet to see the announcement of the new minister. After much argument and feedback from the public it has now become official that Kingsley Shacklebolt was the new minister for magic.

_Yes_. _Now I can finally start making a change. _I ran up the stairs two at a time and threw on the first clothes I found. But then when I looked at the mirror I changed my mind. This occasion called for my best clothes. So I dug into the little sequined bag and pulled out a charcoal pencil skirt and suit jacket along with a pale purple business shirt. I then slicked my brown hair back into a low pony tail and tied it with a black ribbon.

I finally finished my ensemble with black beaded necklace and a soft silver chain. I looked like I had felt for the last two weeks alone, depressed and in mourning.

I was just preparing for apparition to the ministry of magic when I glanced out the window. _It couldn't be._ I blinked hard. But sure enough there he was.

But what the hell was Draco Malfoy doing in Grimald place. I was reminded of an article I had read recently in the prophet.

Can the wrong be right?

Many of the children of death eaters are today being

Told that they can go free even if they were involved in the dark

Goings on associated with lord Voldemort.

One among them was the young Draco Malfoy who has hardly been

Seen out of his home seeing as most of his extended family

Is now in prison..........

The prophet had said he had rarely been out of his home so why was he here? The she saw him pull something from his pocket; at first I thought I was his wand. But then I saw a blood red rose in his hand. He walked over and laid it on the stone line where the pavements of 11 and 13 connected. Then with his wand he cungered ashes and wrote in with it "For those who were truly brave". I felt a tear in my eye. Who would have thought Draco Malfoy had a soul? Malfoy looked up and I realised he could not see me, or even the building.

The wind blew and the ashes scattered but the rose stayed and just one petal blew away.

**There it is hope you like it! Review now, I just spent 10 minutes on the stupid arrow!**

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